Mitchell rallies to get past Tigers in five sets

Posted: Thursday, Oct 11th, 2012BY: SEAN M.X. KELLEY

Huron’s Katelyn Allerdings goes up to spike the ball against Mitchell’s Taylin Alm during their match Tuesday at Huron Arena. In the next photo, Huron’s Asia King goes up for a block on a tip by Alm during Tuesday’s match. And next, Huron’s Sarah Carr goes up for a block on a spike by Mitchell’s Taylin Alm during their match Tuesday at Huron Arena. PHOTOS BY MIKE CARROLL/PLAINSMAN

HURON — The Huron Tiger volleyball team’s six game winning streak was snapped Tuesday evening as the Mitchell Kernels came back to win the final three sets in a 24-26, 21-25, 25-16, 25-17, 15-12 to post the victory.

Huron had its chances to close out the match and led as late as 10-8 in the fifth set forcing the Kernels to take a timeout.

Mitchell rallied to tie it at 10 and the Tigers tied it at 11 before a Huron block came up short handing the serve back to Mitchell at 12-11.

On the next serve the Tigers’ attack fell wide giving Mitchell a 13-11 advantage.

Huron won the next point on a violation at the net by the Kernels during a long rally. However, the Tigers could not capitalize and 6-foot-4 junior Taylin Alm hit an attack off a Tiger block to force match point and then she had her 18th kill of the night on a tip at the net to give Mitchell the fifth set victory and the match.

The Tigers did play well in the first two sets of the match.

The two teams went back-and-forth in the first set with neither team taking much of an advantage.

At one point the Tigers led 18-14 forcing a Mitchell timeout. However, within a couple of sideouts the Kernels tied it at 19.

Mitchell then took a two-point advantage as senior Jenna Neugabauer and Kerri Young came up with a block at the net followed by a Tiger attack that was wide.

Another tip gave Mitchell a 23-20 lead, needing just two points to win the set.

They never came as Huron would win six of the final seven points which included kills by junior Asia King, sophomore Jacey Hupp and senior Katelyn Allerdings. Which pulled the Tigers within 24-23.

Still facing match point Mitchell had a tip go wide to tie the match then Huron got a pair of blocks to score the final points to win the set. The first block involved Katelyn Allerdings, freshman Sarah Carr and sophomore Lexi Eckmann while the second came from Katelyn Allerdings and Hupp.

The second set was much like the first as the teams kept it close for the first 20 points or so until the Tigers broke the 10-10 tie with a five-point outburst.

Mitchell answered back pulling within, 15-14 and kept the deficit at one until a kill by Hupp pushed the Tiger lead to 20-18 and eventually 23-21.

Katelyn Allerdings then put the second set away with a kill that went across the court followed by one that glanced off a Mitchell block for the final two points.

According to head coach Shelly Buddenhagen, the Tigers got back on their heels defensively and couldn’t get into their system offensively which left them scrambling much of the third and fourth set.

The tide then turned midway through the third set with the game tied at 13.

Mitchell went on a 12-3 run to win the third set and after being tied in the fourth set at 15 they ran off 10 of the next 12 points to even the match.

“It came down to focus tonight,” said Buddenhagen. “We just had too many unforced errors and we let too many balls hit the floor.”

Katelyn Allerdings finished with 20 kills and King had 11 for the Tigers while Alm had 18 and Young who carried the Kernels in the fourth set finished with 13.

Defensively for the Tigers Hupp had five block assists and senior libero, Taylar Rotert had 30 digs; freshman Bailey Rathjen had 21.

For the Kernels Alm had two block assists and a solo while senior libero Megan Farnham had 21 digs and Morgan added 13.

It was one of the poorer nights for the Tigers at the service line as they struggled with errors all night. However, junior Megan Kopfmann had a pair of aces for the Tigers and Neugebauer had four for Mitchell.

The Tigers are now 8-6 on the season and have split with the Kernels who are now 10-5.

Huron will next be in action on Friday as they host Rapid City Steven at 5 p.m. prior to the football game. They then will play Rapid City Central on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Both times listed are varsity starting times.